Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk of the Boston Bruins has been fined $5,000 for pushing forward Max Pacioretty of the Washington Capitals during yesterday’s game between the two teams. T.J. Oshie, Alex Ovechkin, and Dylan Strome scored goals to help the Capitals win 3-0. Goalie Charlie Lindgren of the Capitals played a strong game, recording an 18-save shutout.

Grzelcyk speared Pacioretty near the end of the first period, earning him a major penalty and a game misconduct. The Bruins defenceman is fortunate to avoid a punishment given the gravity of the situation. The Player’s Assistance Fund will receive the proceeds from the fine.

As a defenseman in the bottom pairing for the Bruins, Grzelcyk has appeared in 38 games this season. In addition to 31 penalty minutes, two goals, and seven points, he has a +6 rating. He is coming off a very successful 2022–23 season in which he finished second on the squad behind only Hampus Lindholm with 26 points and an absurdly high +46 rating.

The Bruins selected Grzelcyk in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft, and he has played for them his whole career. He has currently appeared in 420 NHL games with Boston and collected 131 points throughout that time. He has witnessed some of the best Bruins moments in the past ten years, including as the team’s march to the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals and their record-breaking regular season in 2022–2023.

The 30-year-old is now in the last year of a $14.75 million, four-year contract he inked with the Bruins. Though he made it through the cap crunch and is certain to return next season, there have been lingering rumors for more than a year that the organization may need to trade him in order to create cap space. He’ll probably sign a three- to four-year deal with an AAV that’s either the same as or less than what he now has.